Here's a fun little educational food experiment: Hold a single pomegranate seed up to the light. Look closely. See anything? Look closer, and you’ll see why these fruits are affectionately known as the “jewels of winter.” Ruby red in color, and bursting with a tart, sweet juice, pomegranates make their debut in most produce aisles nationwide by October and are available on the market just until December. The limited availability of pomegranates makes the upcoming season that much sweeter and more vital to savor…

Pomegranates 101

Hailing from the Punicaceae family, pomegranates are roughly the size of a large orange, although red in color. Their name comes from the French words “pomme,” meaning apple and “grenate,” meaning many-seeded. Break open a pomegranate fruit and you’ll find hundreds of seeds individually held within a ruby red pulp and sac. Each seed is anchored to a bitter-tasting, cream-colored pith (membrane) that should be discarded.

Three main types of pomegranates exist, two of which are sweet in flavor, and one that is very sour. Of these types, there are a number of varieties, some that bear only flowers (non-fruiting), some dwarf varieties used as decorative container plants, and the familiar fruiting varieties we love to eat. One of the most common edible varieties is called the Wonderful, which it certainly is.

Selection, Storage & Cooking

Eating a pomegranate can take quite a long time, since removing the hundreds of seeds from the membrane is a laborious, and usually messy job. But as any pomegranate enthusiast will tell you, it’s worth the time and effort. Pomegranates should feel heavy for their size, indicating that each seed-encasing is bursting with juice. Feel the crown of the fruit, which, if the fruit is ripe, should be slightly soft. The skin of the pomegranate should be taut and shiny without any blemishes, cracks or splitting. Whole pomegranates can be stored in a dark, cool area for up to one month, or in the refrigerator for up to two months. However, pomegranate seeds will only store for about three days in the refrigerator.

To remove the seeds from your pomegranate, you can either choose to get down and dirty with it, breaking apart the fruit with your hands and removing seeds while you eat (which will leave you with ruby-red stained fingers, and possibly clothes). For a less messy way to remove the seeds, break apart the fruit and place in bowl of water. Keeping your hands in the water, separate the seeds from the membrane, which will float to the top of your bowl while the seeds will sink to the bottom. Scoop off the membrane and drain the seeds in a colander. Viola!

Now that you’re ready to use your pomegranate seeds, there are endless possibilities. Pomegranate juice makes for a very tasty drink, or can be used to make jellies, sauces, marinades and tangy vinaigrettes.

Pomegranate seeds are often used to garnish anything from appetizers and salads to meats, vegetarian main courses and gourmet desserts. In addition, they can also be used in baking as a tart and exotic substitute for raisins.

A fantastic recipe using pomegranates is our Watercress and Pomegranate Salad, which takes only minutes to put together, but will easily become the star attraction of your next family meal or potluck.

Nutritional Benefits

Pomegranates are a good source of potassium, vitamins C and B6, and pantothenic acid. They’re also rich in powerful disease-fighting antioxidants. In fact, recent research has suggested that the antioxidants found naturally in pomegranates are three times more powerful than the antioxidant power found in green tea and red wine.

Pomegranate juice has also been used for centuries in the Middle East as a remedy for various inflammatory conditions.

Nutritional Benefits

- 1 pomegranate -

Calories

105

Fat

0g

Carbohydrates

26g (1g dietary fiber)

Protein

1g

Nutrient RDAs

1 mg niacin

6-7%

1 mg pantothenic acid

14-25*

399 mg potassium

13-20%

9 mg vitamin C

15%

1 mg vitamin E

10-12%

*There is no RDA for pantothenic acid, but you need about 4-7mg/day

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